Kimberly JohnsonJuly 24, 2025
SHARE ARTICLE https://mercyforanimals.org/blog/california-firefigters-help-hot-cows/
Photo: Andrew Skowron / We Animals
When a transport truck broke down on a scorching day in El Dorado Hills, California, dozens of cows were left trapped inside, stuck in a metal trailer with no shade and no escape from the brutal 100-degree heat. Luckily, help arrived.
Firefighters from the El Dorado Hills Fire Department rushed to the scene and did something unexpected and deeply moving. They grabbed their hoses and began spraying water directly onto the cows to help cool them down.
Although the cows were raised for meat or dairy and likely en route to the slaughterhouse, in that moment, they weren’t seen as property or “inventory.” They were recognized for what they are: living, feeling beings who can suffer and who deserve compassion.
A Glimpse into a Hidden Industry
Transporting animals in high temperatures is not unusual. The meat industry routinely subjects animals to long, grueling journeys in all kinds of extreme weather, with minimal legal protections for the animals.
Many people don’t realize that in the United States, farmed animals are often transported for hours, or even days, without temperature control, food, water, or rest. In extreme heat, animals frequently collapse or die from heat stress. And in cold weather, they can freeze to death. Conditions are so abysmal that, according to an analysis, over 20 million animals die each year on their journeys to slaughter.
These suffering animals are mostly hidden from view. But every so often, like on that California road, the truth breaks through.
They Just Wanted to Feel Relief
The firefighters’ response struck a chord because it reflects something so simple: When we see someone suffering, we want to help. Unfortunately, when it comes to farmed animals, most people have been conditioned to ignore our natural instincts to be compassionate. If more people saw cows and other farmed animals the way these first responders did—in need of help and worthy of kindness—imagine how different the world could be.
What You Can Do
The best way to help animals like the cows in this story is to leave them off your plate. Choosing plant-based foods is a powerful way to take a stand against cruelty and support a more compassionate food system. You can also urge your Congress members to support the Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act, groundbreaking legislation that addresses some of the cruelest practices in the meat industry, including transport.
Take action for animals in transport now!
Because all animals deserve more than just a moment of mercy on a hot roadside. They deserve lives of safety and peace.
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